


Devices

by r2mich2



Series: r2mich2's The Avengers Request Fanfics (2012 series) [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Depressing, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Oneshot, Outdated Fanfiction, Written in 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 15:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3816175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r2mich2/pseuds/r2mich2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has yet to be informed about the arc reactor in Tony's chest and begins to ask questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Devices

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short fic I wrote for a request fanfic I had set up. It's no longer running but here I am posting them about 3 years later. This fic was written in 2012 after the Avengers movie came out. I'll be posting the others as well. Many of them are outdated. 
> 
> There's nothing but cute fluff and emotions here. Have fun. :)

Steve was sitting on the couch, eyes set on the TV as it played something he didn't quite understand or recognize. That was always how it went down though, Steve sitting on the couch and trying to understand what happened on the TV. Usually that was why Tony walked in on him watching the News or sports channels.  
  
He'd only just moved in a few days before. Questions were arising but he never had the guts to ask them. Usually they were about how the microwave worked or what buttons to push on the remote…he never liked giving Tony the satisfaction of seeing him confused.  
  
But today, it was when Tony wandered into the room clad in only a towel wrapped around his waist that Steve was more intrigued. "Where's my-," Once Tony's eyes caught the sight of the television he instantly stopped.  
  
"Why the hell are you watching Spongebob Squarepants?" He asked, pointing towards the yellow sponge singing something horridly deafening on the television. Steve shrugged, eyes catching on Tony's exposed skin.  
  
It was when he followed along the lines of his abdomen upwards towards his chest that Steve's brow furrowed in confusion. His eyes met the glowing sight of the 'arc reactor' as he'd heard before. Usually Steve only thought the device came in the suit but he'd begun to understand that the glowing device was actually attached to Tony entirely.  
  
That was probably the biggest question that had come to mind. Why didn't he ever take the thing off…? Or really, could he?  
  
Tony broke from his staring at the television before walking forwards towards the couch and picking up the remote from beside Steve. This caused him to lean over the back of the couch, granting Steve a much closer view of the technology attached to his chest.  
  
He gulped down whatever air was in his throat as he looked, seeing exactly how attached the thing was. He didn't know what to do while looking at it and probably appeared as a creep for staring.  
  
Though in the time it had taken Steve to begin staring at his boyfriend's 'arc reactor', Tony had already leaned back and away from the couch after changing the channel to some sports event that he knew Steve could get interested in if he tried rather than watching a children's show.  
  
He looked back down to Steve, handing him the remote as he did so. "Do you know where I left my cellphone?" He asked, seemingly a little stressed. "Pepper was going to call me after I got out of the shower about the meeting in Japan." He half-heartedly explained.  
  
Steve had a hard time lifting his gaze from the device in the center of Tony's chest before looking upwards. "I think it's by the bar." He stated, sounding a little monotone as he tried to force some thoughts through his brain that didn't involve the arc reactor.  
  
Tony knew there was something off but didn't say anything as he walked over across the suite, finding his phone on the counter next to a bottle of tequila. He then called Pepper, having a brief talk about whatever it was he was supposed to be doing in Japan a month later. Apparently the trip was cancelled and Pepper was enough to convince the company of buying stocks or something business-y.  
  
Steve didn't particularly care about what Stark Industries did as long as he knew when Tony was going to leave town and if he was going to tag along or if he'd have to suffer behind at the tower with Jarvis as his guide to modern living.  
  
Eventually Tony left the room, returning in probably the most casual clothing Steve had ever seen him in. The billionaire was wearing just some sweatpants, nothing more.  
  
Tony returned to sit next to Steve, instantly curling into the super soldier for comfort the moment he'd made contact with the couch. Steve watched him carefully; sort of glad he'd have more chances to stare at the thing attached to Tony.  
  
"What is that thing?" Steve eventually asked, braving through his dumb stupidity. He knew he should know what it was but he didn't have the computer skills to look it up on the internet so he had to ask directly.  
  
Tony looked up from the TV, facing the super soldier with wide eyes. "What is what?" He asked, leaning up slightly.  
  
Steve pointed with his finger to the arc reactor sitting smack dab in the middle of Tony's chest. "I thought the whole point was to keep that thing with the suit…"  
  
It was as if Steve had hit a nerve. Tony was staring at him blankly for a few minutes before shaking his head and repositioning himself so he faced the other direction, back pressed into one of Steve's sides. "It's what keeps me alive." Tony said simply, not adding anything at all. Not even any distinguishable emotions for Steve to interpret.  
  
Steve watched him for a few moments, taking in the information. He didn't think that something like that was actually keeping Tony Stark alive. Didn't they have surgeries and such that could fix him? Why did he need the aid of a mechanical device?  
  
"It's keeping metal shrapnel from my own weapons from reaching my heart." Tony added, knowing that his boyfriend was confused. He couldn't blame the poor guy. He probably wasn't even thawed out by then and if he was he wasn't aware of what was going on or who Tony Stark was probably.  
  
Steve seemed even more confused by the added information. Tony could also feel the body of his boyfriend tensing up beneath him. He'd probably get even worse when he found out it wasn't an accident. Steve always tensed up when he got worried.  
  
Tony sighed, looking at the wall with such intensity that someone might think he had lost his mind trying to solve a problem. "It wasn't any accident. I was on a job and got a face full of Stark missiles in my face. The entire reason I built the original Ironman suit was to escape from terrorists who wanted me to build them my weapons. I was injured in the ambush and if not for a device that created a magnetic field to stop the shrapnel from reaching my heart, I'd have not survived." His eyes darkened at the memory of Yinsen. "A good man saved me back there…but I couldn't save him."  
  
Part of Tony longed for him to just let the tears out, the ones he'd been holding in since he watched the poor man die. The man who'd saved his life was long since dead and he still had yet to shed a tear for him. He'd wake up from nightmares of being back there; watching the image repeat over and over, but yet there was still something keeping him from crying. Possibly it was his dignity, or maybe Yinsen never would have wanted him to.  
  
Subconsciously he could still feel the stiffening of Steve's body beneath him as he attempted to picture whatever must have happened, what it must have been like…but Steve could feel the same from Tony. He felt Tony's body go rigid and cold, and possibly the small shivers that Tony tried to hide were more to the puzzle.  
  
Steve knew that Tony was always level headed, cool, and strong about anything that might upset him. He might throw around some angry shouting but unless he was intoxicated then he didn't show a hint of other emotions. The most Steve ever caught was the look of pure…nothingness in his eyes when something that he guessed to be touchy came up.  
  
Maybe he just never learned how to cry.  
  
The super soldier wanted nothing more than to find and kill whoever had caused Tony this pain but something told him that Tony already took care of it. That was just how Tony did things. If he wasn't happy about something then he'd remove it or cleanse it, possibly without even realizing it, until he was satisfied.  
  
In all actuality those terrorists were probably long since dead.  
  
Tony felt the arms of Steve wrap around him, embracing him in warmth and what he knew was comfort. He was reluctant at first seeing as part of him screamed to be alone but Steve didn't relent, pulling the genius closer towards him in an attempt to keep him safe.  
  
They both knew these were childish actions but they didn't try to avoid them. There was that little ounce of faith and hope that sprang forward in those moments when humanity got the best of them. No matter how hard they tried to escape it, humanity always caught up to the two superheroes.  
  
"I'm sorry…" Steve apologized, hugging Tony close to his chest and resting his chin on the smaller man's shoulder. His eyes traced the lines of Tony's face, looking for the emotion he knew was bottled up inside.  
  
Tony had to know that Steve wouldn't mock him for it. Steve knew that the genius thought that emotions were weaknesses. He knew that Tony hated letting people see the real Tony Stark.  
  
"Tony," He spoke, hugging him tighter and searching with one hand to find the hand of his best friend and lover. "I'm really sorry." He whispered again, sadness filling his voice.  
  
The genius in his arms let his head lean against that of the man holding him. "I just wish I could have done something…" He whispered, gripping the hand in his tight with stress and agony. The pure regret pooling in his heard was enough to send him pain.  
  
Steve looked forward to wherever Tony must have been staring off to. He didn't say anything though. This wasn't the time for them both to descend down into guilt and regret. Steve had lost many and he didn't have to tell Tony because when he gripped Tony's hand tight too, they both responded the same. They both knew that the people they'd lost were long since gone and probably never wanted them hurting like this.  
  
A lot of the time Steve was thankful he had Tony because every time he phased off, eyes searching in space for whatever was missing, Tony was able to walk right on over and replace whatever it was. Tony was able to sit in and fill up that space and be even more than a replacement.  
  
It was when his eyes traveled back downwards to find the small glowing device attached to Tony that Steve felt the smile pull at his face. He knew that Tony was alive when he looked at its glowing light. He never took his eyes from it as he placed a light kiss on Tony's neck, wrapping his arm around the Stark's waist.  
  
Tony was something that most of the time Steve didn't think he deserved. Tony was rough around the edges and sure he could get a little violent but yet at the same time he could be like this.  
  
Tony could be accepting, loving, passionate, and most of all he could keep Steve in line.  
  
He didn't expect to see his love's tears, not then. His eyes were filled with what Steve knew was a sorrow that came from the loss of a friend. Steve knew that pain very well...his mind filled with the images of snowy white peaks…smoke billowing from a train…the bitter cold air biting at his face…  
  
The images came to a sudden halt at the feeling of Tony turning in his arms to face him again. Tony had curled up, sitting with Steve and resting his head on Steve's shoulder as he faced the other direction.  
  
"We're a mess." Tony finally said after what felt like hours of silence when in reality it was just minutes. His eyes were drying again, but there was still the grief in his eyes as he looked to Steve's face. Steve nodded his head, enveloping Tony into another tight embrace.  
  
He smiled as he placed a light kiss to Tony's forehead, no matter how much Tony usually detested it. It was something about feeling like a child.  
  
"But we're a good mess."  _And that's all I'll ever need._


End file.
